Breath of the Wind
by Tancong
Summary: A cold winter in which Mercy is left alone, anxiously awaiting the return of Genji. A Gency/Emergenji based story.


A breath of wind brushed across her bare neck, making her shiver involuntarily as she pulled her scarf up to fully cover up her neck. Winter was always cold around here of course, however this winter felt more so than any of the previous one. Having come from Germany with its own share of harsh winters, it was far from the much harsher winters there, however this one just stung her more than she could explain. Angela sighed softly as she looked up at the night sky, devoid of its wonderful colors and soft clouds. There were stars of course, the few that she could see through the layers of light pollution at least. Growing up she had looked at these same stars with wonder, eagerly learning about each one. Now, she only saw them as the world she was in. Fragmented and lonely, she couldn't help but feel as if that was how the world had evolved. Everyone was so distant and cold toward each other, becoming further and further away. And over time, these stars slowly fade from view, having either died out with no one noticing or simply disappearing in the haze of the world. The stars that were all once symbols of hope and wonder, just gone and unnoticed.

Perhaps the depressing winter was just getting to her after all. It was not as if she truly saw the world in such a view of course, not when she had so many wonderful colleagues supporting her from the sidelines, always so eager to help her and cheer her up. Sometimes a bit too eager really. That thought brought a small smile to her lips, her eyes brightening a little at the mental images of her friends. Her family really. However, it soon disappeared again as she sighed and sat down on the grass, not caring enough to be considerate of its wetness and the effects it would have on her clothes. There was a member missing though, one that was all too important to her. It wasn't as if he was gone forever, she knew that at the very least. He knew how to take care of himself, yet she couldn't help but worry.

Angela did her best to keep her personal and professional lives separate as with any good doctor, and she did just that without fail for all her time here at Overwatch. Yet in these last few weeks, she couldn't help but feeling others' gaze on her as if they knew something was wrong. She knew that that she should be trying harder to keep her emotions and conflicts in check, and yet she knew they were showing. She was glad that the others had not brought it up at the very least. Then again, it may not be that hard to guess the source. Not when a certain green cyborg has been gone for a bit over a month now. As with any agent, he had his missions to carry out. She knew that sometimes he must go off communications and be in that state for a lengthy duration to avoid detection, yet this has been much too long. Just the thought of something possibly have gone wrong and that she would never hear the sound of his voice again brought a tear to her eye. Angela gritted her teeth to stop herself from the havoc that her eyes were threatening to release, wiping away the wet trail on her cheek with her sweater sleeve.

Another sharp breath of wind cut across the yard that she was sitting in, this time making her eyes widen slightly and look around. In the near distance on the other side of the yard, a small cloud of fog had settled, impairing her vision. However, Angela frowned and got up, approaching the area slowly. There should not be fog there, not in this weather condition, nor was it fading as she approached it. In a few moments, she stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening as her mouth open slightly in disbelief. With that, she ran over to the source of the fog even as she heard the soft hsss of its mechanism closing. After all, it was hard to mistaken the slender athletic shape of metal for anything else. Especially not to her, even if the green light accompanying it was so weak.

Angela kneeled down next to him, checking for his vitals carefully with her hands and signs of damage with her eyes. He must have exerted himself heavily to have to release so much steam during this cold weather. In addition, it was clear to see the many cuts and bullet holes all over his body. As she silently moved to pick him up with her left hand, her hand starting to lift his head, she felt the cool metal and shape of his hand wrapping around her right, causing her to look down at her hand before back at his visor. There, she saw the green light flicker to a higher intensity, an intensity that showed that he was no where near giving up on his life. And yet, she felt as if there was a softness in its hue that she couldn't quite place. A softness as he gazed toward her.

"It's alright Genji, you're home now. You'll be ok," Angela said softly, grasping his hand tightly in hers as she smiled comfortingly at him. The green light flickered, as if the man had looked away or closed his eyes in acknowledgement, or perhaps deep in thought. They stayed there in the cold on the wind, not saying another word for a moment, simply looking at each other. Genji broke the silence as he turned his head to look directly at her, "I apologize for failing to follow your medical advice once again, doctor."

Angela blinked at him twice at the admission, looking at him for a moment before giggling softly at him. If he was still capable of making such witty remarks, perhaps he wasn't so badly off after all. Even if he had been gone and in unknown dangers for the past month. Even if her heart had ached every night for his return and touch. Even with all the wounds that lined his robotic body, he came back to her. She looked fondly at him as she mocked a disapproving frown at him before sighing and squeezing his hand again. "When will you ever listen, Mr. Shimada. You sure do enjoy making my work more difficult for me don't you." Her face softened again with a gentle smile as she said, "Not that I mind of course. Heroes never die, not on my watch."

Genji's visor dimmed, flickering now as he slowly lost consciousness. Just to be here in her arms and to hear her voice made every risk that he took and every painful step back worth it. After all, he wasn't just back to the Overwatch headquarters to be patched up for another mission. He was back home, right next to her just as he should be. Even so, he couldn't help but say sadly, "I'm no hero Angela. Not in this life nor the last. I'm just a man." With that, his visors flickered off along with the rest of his lights. She knew he was still alive of course, after all he was still breathing in her arms.

Angela looked down wistfully at the man she held in her arm, wishing only that perhaps one day, he could see himself as what she saw him. Of course he was a man, simply one who had a special place in her heart. As she picked him up and hurry to carry him back to the medical bay, she smiled down at him, knowing that she had so many things she still wanted to talk to him about and so many things she wanted to show him. As such, she wasn't about to let him leave her, not just yet. After all, she had not lied, she was not going to let a hero die on her, not now and not him.

Even if he didn't believe so, he had always been a hero in her heart. After all, she may have saved his life, but he gave meaning to hers.


End file.
